It’s hard to accept that racism still exists. Not being aware of it made me feel a little naive because I hadn’t witnessed any acts of discrimination until I arrived in Holguin.
Perhaps they do it unintentionally, or perhaps it’s just rooted in people’s roots. I’m not saying it’s unique to this province. But in today’s society, there are still remnants of what was once the greatest inequality among men.
I was 10 years old when I first felt self-conscious about my skin color, my black features: a wide nose, thick lips, dark complexion, and afro hair, as they call it now. They criticized everything that identified my race and didn’t accept that I was different. I’m not saying everyone did, but some of them did.
This situation, for a while, disconcerted me greatly because it was a radical change in my ideology. It didn’t just happen to me, it also happened to other Black people. My mom at her new job, my older sister at school, and my younger sister, who still experiences bullying from some kids.
Furthermore, I find it disconcerting that I still hear comments like: “Look at that Black girl’s raisin.” “That cute Black guy.” “Look at how educated that Black girl is.”
Because let’s be honest, they don’t express themselves that way when referring to a white person. The reality is that a human being is not measured by their skin color. But by the qualities they develop throughout their life.
However, if we go back to the origins of Blackness, the color was already condemned long before: blacklisting, black market, the future looks bleak, and none of the most common statements in the world related to “Blackness” are positive.
Not everyone notices the small traces of racism that remain. When the first person to die in movies is “the Black guy.” If you make an inappropriate comment—he had to be Black—if your boyfriend is Black, what they say is that you’re retarding the race; if you’re pretty, “you’re a Black guy” or “a Black guy”; and if you’re unlucky enough to be seen at night. Alone and wearing a hooded coat, you’re a “Black criminal.”
The harshness of the aforementioned is normal and everyday in the experiences of many people of color. Sometimes, they feel like they don’t fit in or don’t belong.
This July 25th marks the International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent, but there’s still a long way to go to completely eliminate prejudice and stigma against Black people.
With information from Arlenis Betancourt Yañez / Journalism Student
- DeSantis Announces Deportation Flights from Alligator Alcatraz - 26 de July de 2025
- Cuba’s Second Loss in U-12 Baseball World Cup - 26 de July de 2025
- “The Black Man” - 26 de July de 2025